Fitness for One and All Home Page
Additional Books and eBooks by the Director
Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting:
A Comprehensive Guide to the World’s Strongest Sport
Book
and eBook by Gary F.
Zeolla,
the Director of Fitness for One and All
Available Formats
Amazon:
Kindle Reading Device eBook: 1674 KB. $3.99. Order and download from Amazon.
Paperback format: 350 pages (6” x 9” pages). $13.50. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.
Hardback format: 350 pages (6” x 9” pages). $20.99. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.
Lulu Publishing:
Acrobat Reader® eBook: 8,780 KB. $3.99. Purchase and download from Lulu Publishing.
EPUB for Adobe Digital Editions Format – $4.50. Order and download from Lulu Publishing.
Paperback format: 352 pages (6” x 9” pages). $13.50. Order from the publisher via their website Lulu Publishing.
Hardback format: 352 pages (6” x 9” pages). $21.50. Order from the publisher via their website Lulu Publishing.
Notes:
Different formats and publishers might have different covers, but the content is the same in all of them.
The links to Amazon are advertising links, for which I receive a commission in addition to my royalty if a product is purchased after following the link.
Please ignore the PO Box at the end of this book. I no longer have access to that address.
Readers
Download the free PDF Reader (Acrobat Reader®)
Purchase the Kindle Wireless Reading Device
Readers
Download the free PDF Reader (Acrobat Reader®)
Purchase the Kindle Wireless Reading Device
Book Description
This book is geared towards the beginner to intermediate powerlifter, along with the person
just thinking about getting into the sport. This book will present sound
training, competition, dietary, and supplement advice to aid the reader in
starting and progressing in the sport of powerlifting. It will also help the
reader to wade through the maze of federations, divisions, and supportive gear
now found in powerlifting.
In addition, this book will detail some of the personal difficulties the writer has encountered in his many years of training and competition in the hopes that doing so will help the reader to avoid the same mistakes and problems. So this book is truly a compressive guide to powerlifting.
About the Author
The author has a degree in Nutrition Science and was a state and national collegiate powerlifting champion and record holder back in 1979-82. Starting in 2003, he began to compete again and has continued to do so as of this writing. He is currently a top-ranked master powerlifter, holding 39 records set in four different powerlifting federations.
He is also the founder and director of Fitness for One and All, which is dedicated to helping people attain their heath, fitness, and performance goals, with an emphasis on powerlifting.
Beneficial for Non-Powerlifters
This book is obviously geared towards powerlifters. However, non-powerlifters looking for advice on general strength training will find much benefit from the book as well. But a few modifications will need to be made. These benefits and modifications are detailed via an overview of each section of the book in the article Powerlifting Book: Beneficial for Non-powerlifters.
Table of Contents
[Page numbers are for the paperback.]
Preface - 5
Introduction - 7
The World’s Strongest Sport - 8
About the Author - 9
Section One:
The Sport of Powerlifting … 13
#1 – Introduction to Powerlifting Competition - 15
#2 – Gear Descriptions - 25
#3 – Powerlifting Federations - 45
#4 – My Federations Experiences - 59
#5 – Raw versus Equipped Debate - 69
#6 – Fixing Powerlifting - 83
Section Two:
Training Basics … 93
#7 – Designing a Training Routine - 95
#8 – Training Intensity, Cycles, and Training Tips - 111
#9 – Proper Performance of the Powerlifts - 127
Section Three:
Powerlift Assistance Exercises … 139
#10 – Squat Assistance Exercises - 141
#11 – Bench Press Assistance Exercises - 151
#12 – Deadlift Assistance Exercises - 161
#13 – Bands and Chains/ Speed Work - 169
Section Four:
Putting it all Together … 181
#14 – Training Routine Format - 183
#15 – Sample Workout Logs - 197
#16 – Contest Attempts - 219
Section Five:
Injuries and Back Pain … 231
#17 – Dealing with Injuries - 233
#18 – Overcoming Back Pain - 245
Section Six:
Nutrition and Supplements … 251
#19 – Eating Plan Basics - 253
#20 – Pre- and Post-workout Nutrition - 267
#21 – Cutting Weight/ Post-weigh-in Nutrition - 275
#22 – Supplements and Miscellaneous - 291
Section Seven:
Personal Problems in Powerlifting … 305
#23 – Gear Problems - 307
#24 – Raw Problems - 315
#25 – Gym Problems - 319
#26 – Contest Problems - 325
Section Eight:
Appendixes … 337
#1 – Product Companies - 339
#2 – Additional Books by the Author - 345
#3 – Author’s Web Sites/ Contacting the Author
- 349
Introduction
Like many, I began lifting weights as a teenager alone in my basement. But this meant I had no one to correct me on my form, as if I would have listened anyway. I also had no idea what a powerlifting contest was like, never having been to a one. And I had no idea what the rules were, never having read a rulebook or a book like this one.
With that background, my first contest was a high school bench press meet in eleventh grade. I predictably did everything wrong.
The day before the contest, my gym class was using the school’s weight room, so I worked up to a max single “to see what I could do.” I then opened with just five pounds less than that weight at the contest.
For that first attempt, the two spotters handed off the weight, each holding the bar at the end. I wasn’t ready when they let go, and the bar almost crashed onto my chest.
On my second attempt, I came up with the weight, but my feet were kicking in the air and the bar came up very uneven. The lift was turned down by all three judges.
On my third attempt, I wised up some and had one of the spotters handoff to me from behind. But at that point, I was too tired out and only got the bar halfway up. I thus bombed out of the contest.
It was very distressing at the time, but in retrospect it was probably the best thing that happened to me. After that disaster, I joined a gym. That gym furnished help and support from the other lifters and the owners in proper lifting techniques. I thus learned to use proper form and what the rules of performance were.
I then entered the same bench press meet my senior year. This time, I successfully completed all three attempts and won a 4th place trophy out of about 20 competitors. The organizer of the meet said that if they had a “most-improved lifter” trophy I would have won it as well. It should also be noted that I have never again bombed out of a contest, so I truly learned my lesson.
But hopefully, this book will prevent the reader from having to learn that lesson the hard way like I did. It will teach the reader the rules of a contest; instruct you on proper training and contest prep techniques, and explain proper form on the powerlifts that is in accordance with the rules.
The above preview was posted on this Website May 6,
2009.
It was updated June 1, 2023.
Additional
Books and eBooks by the Director
Alphabetical
List of Pages Contact Information
Fitness for One
and All Home Page